Relaxation and self-care is crucial, especially in this day and age. As a college student, I find myself constantly bombarded by assignments, day to day expenses, and other factors that may negatively affect or make me increasingly anxious. Self-care encourages me to maintain a healthy relationship with myself so that I can transmit those good feelings to others and into the work I do. Skateboarding is one of the many ways I take care of my mental health. Though I use my physical strength when I skate, landing tricks such as, a pop shuvit or kickflip is very satisfying. Also, the act of bombing or skating down large hills is liberating as the wind hits my entire body and I am traveling at very high speeds. Other ways I take care of my mental health include simply listening to music. Having a passion for music production, browsing for new music on Soundcloud made by my friends is very soothing. Hearing the individual musical elements being put together in creative ways, calms and down and further inspires my own creativity. Laying down without the use of electronics is also a good method of relaxation, as a I detach from social media which can distract and overload my brain. In this mode, I am more in touch with my feelings and can truly assess and explore my metal state. Overall, there are numerous methods I use to relax and take care of my mental health and each one allows me to feel tranquil as well as ease my anxiety.

Joy to me is chasing what I am passionate about or simply what invokes happiness within my day to day life. It is also a state of feeling content while doing things that fuel a smile in my face. DJing is one of the many ways I seek joy in my life. The ability to broadcast the music I love and listen to daily to an audience of people whether it be big or small is amazing. Even DJing alone in my room practicing or planning a mix is extremely fun. Doing seamless transitions from song to song and trying new techniques is a very satisfying feeling. Learning from other DJ's such as, Martin Garrix and watching their live sets also brings joy to my days as I desire to be on a mainstage like them in the near future. Producing music on my DAW of choice, FL Studio additionally brings joy to my life as I have the ability to make different types of music not only by myself but with other artists around the world. Since 2016, I have been producing and releasing music and the multitude of people that have been able to stream and enjoy my music means the world and fills me with joy. Other ways I seek joy in my include, skateboarding. Bombing big hills and landing tricks give me a feeling of satisfaction that continuously keep me riding. In summary, there are a variety of factors that fuel joy in my life as it varies from person to person. Doing the things I love as well as helping other people feel joy allow me to be content in my life.

Something I've learned about myself that is extremely valuable is the fact that I am very detail oriented. Some may see being too detail oriented as an obstacle. Many may perceive detail oriented people as slow to start on projects because, we may slow down from approaching a certain tasks without specifics. Additionally, paying too much attention to details may cause someone to get overwhelmed. In my life, I find my attention to detail helps rather than stunts my growth because, the more I understand about a certain topic or task, the better I succeed. I do not spend as much time returning to past projects to patch up mistakes because, I am already aware of the necessary details needed into order to succeed. I especially find my detail oriented mindset helpful when working in groups. I pay careful attention to directions and think of creative ways to approach assignments while incorporating the ideas of everyone else present. Another examples of being detail oriented in my day to day life including, listening to certain music artists, learning about new genres, trying new foods, signing up for classes, and more. In summary, having a detail oriented mindset can fuel both stress and creativity however, I have learned to master the extent of the details I focus on and how I let it affect my daily life.

The track I value the most at the moment is “kas - mybreath_.” Formerly known as “fluff pink”, kas, invokes feelings of joy, euphoria, but more simply, happiness through “mybreath_”, released on Soundcloud just four days ago. As in the track’s title, it truly does take my breath away. It starts off with a fairly low sounding sample as the intro then expands into a fuller section with a particular vocal used throughout the track, as well as a thick accompanying Reese bass line. Twenty six seconds into the track, there’s a pause where only the vocals are heard and almost immediately after, arguably the best part of the song drops. My ears are instantly flooded with a combination of the sampled vocals from The Weeknd’s recent track, “Take My Breath”, as well as a wide 808. The soft clap used in the first drop beautifully contrasts with the loud drums, but pairs with the soft vocals. Kas coins this type of music, “pastel bounce” and has other tracks carrying similar elements and rhythm. Not even a minute into the track, he further incorporates a hard kick and changes the clap for a more trappy feel in comparison to the first initial drop. Next, comes a break, similar to the intro but incorporating more of The Weeknd’s vocal sample, introducing new synths, but not straying far from the drum work already introduced. As “mybreath_” closes out, the vocal loop used throughout the drop persists but with little other drum work, signifying the ending. Overall, Kas does an excellent job with “mybreath_” in regards to the mixing, sound selection, and more, thus making the track so catchy and fun to revisit.